Spine surgeon consultation
What does a spine consultation involve?
A consultation with one of our spine surgeons is an opportunity to address questions and to discuss spine or back surgery. It’s also an opportunity for the spine surgeon to talk to you in detail about your symptoms, pain, medical history, and other relevant factors, as well as inform you about the surgery and the expected results.
What does the spine surgeon want to discuss?
During the consultation, the spine surgeon may want to discuss the following:
YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY AND LIFESTYLE
The spine surgeon will want to discuss your complete medical history. This may include:
Any medications you take or have taken
Any chronic or recurring health issues in addition to your neck or back problems
Your general family medical history, including any history of similar problems
Your lifestyle, such as whether or not you smoke and how active you are, as well as information relevant to your problem, including sports and fitness activities and what your work involves
YOUR SPINE SYMPTOMS
The consultation lets the spine surgeon fully understand the extent of your neck, back, or other spinal injury and pain. This information will help them recommend the most appropriate way forward. It may include:
Your main symptoms and where they are, such as legs, arms, neck, back, hands, etc.
How long you have been experiencing these symptoms, pains and how bad they are
Any triggers, such as activities or body movements, that make symptoms worse
PRE- AND POST-SPINE SURGERY CARE
The spine surgeon will give you information on what to do to prepare for surgery. You will also receive information on what happens after surgery, including the recovery period, how long you will stay in our hospital, and when you can expect to be able to resume work and other activities.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS
The spine surgeon will also go through any potential risks or complications relevant to your medical history, lifestyle, and specific spine surgery needs.
Why consult with a spine surgeon?
Consulting with a spine surgeon lets you better understand the nature of your spine problems and what could be causing them, as well as what the surgery involves and why it might be required. From the spine surgeon’s perspective, they can better understand your needs and make sure you both have the same understanding of what’s involved and the potential outcomes, risks, and other factors.
Spine consultation outcomes
The spine surgeon can offer a diagnosis during the consultation or refer you for further tests or scans. They can also recommend a course of treatment and recommended next steps, which may include a particular surgery.
Preparing for a spine consultation
Before the consultation, we recommend that you gather together the information the spine surgeon might need, think about what you want to get out of the consultation, and prepare any questions.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
The spine surgeon will want to collect basic personal information, including name, age, and health care number, as well as the name of your family doctor if you have one, or any other health professionals you are working with. This is in case they need to discuss the surgery.
TEST AND SCAN RESULTS
If you have had any scans, such as a CT Scan or MRI scan of your spine, the spine surgeon will want to review these if possible.
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE SPINE SURGEON
Asking questions will help you understand what neck or back surgery involves and helps the spine surgeon feel confident you know what to expect. These could include:
Specific questions relating to the nature of your condition or spine injury.
Whether or not surgery is needed.
The potential consequences of not having the surgery.
Any risks and whether they are worth it or not.
Expectations around short-term and long-term outcomes.